Joe Bloss

Associate writer, testing
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My recent work

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I tested 9 jump starters that promise to revive your car, but only these 2 deliver | CNN Underscored

The best jump starter doesn’t achieve top status just by shocking your car back to life whenever you have a dead battery. Beyond that prerequisite, this road trip essential has to simplify each step of the process because you might go months or years between uses and no amount of studying the instructions will help them stick in your mind for that long. It’s especially paramount because of how much energy is on the move here; a misstep can do damage to your car or, worse, injure you.
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We tested Leaf’s plastic-free razors. They’ll save you money on your shave routine | CNN Underscored

Shaving can happen at two speeds, and Leaf’s plastic-free razors work for either pace. From one angle, a shave should be quick, clean and consistent. It’s a universal science. Once you’ve perfected it with the products that are right for you, that combination of a manual razor and shaving cream might become a constant in your shower or sink for decades.
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You get better gas mileage with proper tire pressure. These gauges ensure you have it | CNN Underscored

Tire pressure affects enough aspects of driving a car — fuel economy, tire lifespan, traction and overall ride comfort among them — that it makes sense to keep the best tire pressure gauge at the ready. Even in a world where new cars have built-in pressure sensors and portable tire inflators are in everyone’s trunk, a reliable gauge brings accuracy that other methods sometimes lack.



Owning a tire pressure gauge might be a no-brainer, but picking which one to buy isn’t as o...
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I tested 12 portable tire inflators. The 2 best pump air fast at a fair price | CNN Underscored

Keeping the best portable tire inflator in your car emergency kit is a decision rooted in both convenience and caution. These small air compressors won’t be needed every day, or even every month, but when you do need one, boy, you’ll be glad you have it. No more having to pay a few cents or wait in a line of cars to fill up your tires with air at a gas station. The low tire pressure warning on your dashboard can be easily erased within minutes of lighting up, even if you’re on the side of the ro...
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Shark’s new ChillPill portable fan will be a savior when summer starts sizzling | CNN Underscored

Just in time for warmer weather, Shark released what we think will be the ultimate gadget for hot summer days ahead: the Shark ChillPill. This tiny cooling device isn’t just a portable fan: It also boasts a misting nozzle and a metal plate that gets instantly ice cold. This trio of interchangeable heads makes the ChillPill the kind of thing you make room for even when your bag is already at capacity, because whether you’re hitting the gym, heading to work or attending a concert on a sweltering hot day, your first priority is beating the heat.
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I tested the best portable projectors to bring the big screen anywhere | CNN Underscored

The best portable projectors make the most sacred forms of entertainment better. Backyard movie night feels more like a trip to the cinema, except you can pause for a bathroom break whenever you want. The big game can be truly humongous without a $3,000 new TV. And video games are simply way more fun and shareable when they’re blown up on the wall instead of confined to a handheld screen.
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I tested 10 of the best robot vacuums. These 2 offer more value than pricey flagships | CNN Underscored

Every year, the brands behind the best robot vacuums introduce new features that push beyond the previous limits of what these automated cleaners could do. Last year, it was an innovative robotic arm that moved socks out of the way. Now, one of the latest models I’ve tested can scale multilevel thresholds so you don’t have to pick it up to get it from one room to another, even if there’s a bulky doorframe in between.
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The best flannel sheets of 2026, tried and tested | CNN Underscored

As energy prices remain high and seasonal temperatures continue to drop, one way to resist cranking the heat in your home is investing in a set of the best flannel sheets. It’s an outside-the-box attempt at staying warm overnight that lacks the same inflating effect on your monthly electric bill as an on-all-the-time space heater. The only downside? You might be tempted to hit your alarm clock’s snooze button one too many times, because most flannel sheets are so cozy they’ll have you considering taking a sick day just to stay in bed.
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Hotel coffee stinks, so I use this travel gear to brew joe on the go | CNN Underscored

I can’t stand drinking bad coffee when I travel. No disrespect if you’re fine with the single-serve coffee pods sitting in your hotel room or that questionable can of Folgers in the Airbnb, but I’d rather suffer through a caffeine deficiency than try my luck with those. Sure, there are over 40,000 Starbucks worldwide that could satisfy my need for coffee, but you won’t find me in one because making my own coffee is a ritual, whether I’m home, across the country or halfway around the globe.
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I tested 9 smart bird feeders. This one brand soars past the competition | CNN Underscored

The best smart bird feeder isn’t just a pit stop for wild birds: It’s a microscope in the middle of your backyard. By inserting a powerful camera, along with an app to explore its findings, into a plastic housing filled with seeds and nuts, smart bird feeders transform window watching into detailed deep dives. It’s the kind of product that keeps supplying you fun because, as long as you’re willing to maintain your feeder, the birds will come back and even change with the seasons....
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The best linen sheets of 2026, tested and reviewed | CNN Underscored

We all spend a lot of time sleeping in our beds, so why not outfit them with the luxury of the best linen sheets? Though linen may not be as soft as cotton sheets at first touch, the way linen is woven together creates a cool, moisture-wicking fabric that only gets softer with each wash. Along with added durability, those characteristics make linen among the best sheets you can buy if you’re looking for cooling sheets in the summer or layered bedding for temperature regulation in the colder months.
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I tested 6 of the best smokeless fire pits. These 2 can be backyard beasts for years | CNN Underscored

Parking one of the best fire pits in your backyard opens up a world of outdoor fun. It’s the perfect centerpiece for friends and family to get together on a summer evening, and it can unlock time in the yard when cold temps would otherwise keep you inside. During transitional seasons, the heat of the fire beats any blanket. If the bugs are circling, the flames will help keep those pests at bay.
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I tried the new Ninja FlexFlame. The 5-in-1 outdoor grill turned me into a pitmaster | CNN Underscored

The Ninja FlexFlame — the brand’s first propane grill — is a shortcut to the backyard of my dreams. When I finally have a home of my own, stepping out onto the patio will reveal an arsenal of outdoor cooking appliances. There’s a grill for burgers and hot dogs in one corner; a smoker, where all-day cooks produce heavenly ribs, in another. Don’t forget the griddle, where I’ll flip pancakes in the morning, then chop cheesesteaks at night. Oh, and every Friday, my pizza oven produces artisanal pies...
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Best sandals for men: Tested and reviewed | CNN Underscored

Whether you’re a sneakerhead like me or a Crocs devotee, finding a pair of the best sandals for men can be a revelation when the weather heats up. They let your feet breathe while still wrapping them in support. And even if there might be haters out there, I think they can actually look pretty fly. Rocking a pair of sandals in the summer has given me confidence and helped me evolve my style.



The word “sandal” can mean many different things in men’s fashion, so I narrowed t...
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The best backpack coolers for icy drinks on the move in 2025, tried and tested | CNN Underscored

The best backpack cooler will always be a useful piece of outdoor gear because most situations that call for a chilled beverage require the movement of cans, ice and more from point A to point B. Even if you’ve invested in a reliable and spacious cooler, the worst part of using it is lugging it around. I don’t care if that thing has sturdy handles or smooth wheels — it’s heavy.
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The best air purifiers to combat smoke, pollen and odors, according to experts | CNN Underscored

Shopping for the best air purifier for your home can get quite technical, quite fast. There are acronyms all over the place. AHAM, HEPA, CADR — the list goes on. And when you just want to make an informed purchase to ensure the home appliance you’re buying is actually cleaning the air by removing unwanted particles, all those terms can get a little overwhelming.
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I haven’t paid for a haircut in 10 years. The Oster Fast Feed clipper is why | CNN Underscored

Long before I started testing and reviewing products, the Oster Fast Feed hair clipper became a staple in my life. I had always maintained a short buzz cut growing up, which meant a trip to the Great Clips a few miles from my house every other week. It probably cost $12 back then, which wasn’t a lot of money, but when I started paying for it myself, it felt like a waste. It’s not like I needed a complex cut that required a barber’s skill.



So, I took matters into my own han...
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I don’t drive anywhere without the Airmoto tire inflator in my car | CNN Underscored

Ideally, the Airmoto Smart Air Pump is the kind of product you rarely need, but it’s one you sure are glad to have when that need arises. Take it from me, the guy who found himself stranded with a flat tire last year. I couldn’t pull over to swap out that tire for my spare because I live in an area with one-way streets and cars parked on both sides of the road. My options in this lose-lose situation were either to block traffic or damage my car by driving home on a flat.



T...
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The best water filter pitchers of 2025, tested by editors | CNN Underscored

Stashing a water filter pitcher in your fridge feels like a rite of passage. You might have had one in your college dorm or your first home, and there may even be one chilling with your produce and condiments right now. It’s the kind of ubiquitous product that doesn’t require a lot of thought to do its job, right? Even a few Underscored staffers have admitted to buying the first water filter pitcher they can find and drinking from it for years. And they’re still around to tell the tale....
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Testing XGIMI’s MoGo 3 Pro portable projector completely changed how I watch TV | CNN Underscored

When I set out to test the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro projector, I had two goals in mind: to evaluate the product (it is my job, after all) and explore a new viewing experience. I use my TV a lot. Be it for binging shows, obsessing over sports or playing video games, it’s the focal point of my apartment and the gateway to so many things I enjoy. But it’s hardly top-of-the-line; it’s an unremarkable 50-inch display I haven’t replaced for years mainly because it still works. And doing so would cost money....
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The Fellow Aiden is the coffee maker I always wanted | CNN Underscored

The Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is exactly the brewer I’ve needed because it gets to the core of who I am as a coffee drinker. I’m a sicko with different pour-overs, various French presses and several bags of specialty beans monopolizing too much of my scarce cabinet space. There’s not a day that goes by where the roar of my burr grinder is not heard. On a scale from one to 10, one being “I don’t like coffee — it’s a vasoconstrictor” and 10 being “coffee is the lifeblood that drives the dreams of champions,” I’m at least a solid eight.
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